Fool Moon (The Dresden Files #2) by Jim Butcher: Book Review

Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn’t been able to dredge up any kind of work–magical or mundane.

But just when it looks like he can’t afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.

A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses–and the first two don’t count…-Goodreads

My Review

My Rating: 3/5

SPOILER FREE

Despite the monster-of-the-week vibe I’m getting from the first two books in this series, I really enjoyed reading this one. Urban fantasy was never my sort of thing, but Butcher’s writing is funny, engaging, and makes me want to flip onto the next page every time.

After thinking about this one for a bit, I think I can now see some hints at a larger plot developing that I am looking forward to exploring. I love fantasy books that feel like there is more going on than we see – in the beginning at least – and this is certainly one of those books.

Harry Dresden is still a dick, but his character is becoming more interesting – I won’t go into spoilers, but there are hints to something more about his character, his past, that I’m intrigued by. I really hope his character grows and develops from this stage – and soon – as I think it would be very satisfying to see him become someone I liked.

The plot itself was interesting but not incredible. Being a fan of epic-sized fantasy, it was great to have a load of information about werewolves and to learn about the magic behind each kind. The plot, however, was a little all over the place, but it was good enough to keep the book from slumping. One thing Butcher has never done is have a dull chapter!

Things I would like to see in future books:

Dresden grows up

Murphy knows more and is more of a useful character (because I think she’s great and underutilised as a main character in these books)

We get to see more of the setting rather than vague outlines (although, in short books like these I can see why Butcher doesn’t want to bog the plot down with worldbuilding – for now at least)

We are introduced to a cast of interesting characters from the “magical” world – such as The White Council and maybe some other groups or individuals who can provide interesting insights to the world.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I will continue reading the series for now.